Sandals Barbados

Visited Sandals Barbados (not Royal) in late July largely to celebrate my 70th birthday…..it was our 2nd visit. Resort has changed little since our previous visit in February 2025. We paid for a small upgrade to a walk-in room (ground floor) and everything seemed fine with good service after our hour long wait for collection at the airport. We then realised we couldn’t complete unpacking as we needed some more (10) hangers, 4 visits to reception over 2 days and being told they were in our closet, we finally got them delivered and the admission that they had been delivered to the wrong room initially, and we could finish our unpacking. We were jet lagged the first few days from our flight from the UK which was just as well as they started strimming the grass right outside our room at 7:15am on the first morning…..we thought that was bad timing but the gardening/cleaning routine continued daily around the area (I know grass doesn't cut itself!!) and culminated with the lawn mower, strimmer, leaf blower and jet wash all on at the same time and the noise between our room and the pool by Portofino must have been more than 100 decibels and wasn’t a short experience either. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only noise pollution we had to endure….on the road between the “Royal” and “Regular” complexes, adjacent to our room and close to the Portofino pool, was some building work and on one day (at least) a lorry had it’s reversing beeper going, not for 30 minutes, not even for a couple of hours but for about 8 hours in total…..this must have been witnessed by numerous Sandals staff, some of whom were involved with the project, and multiple Sandals management and none of them asked for the lorry to come out of reverse gear, as they were stationery, and stop the annoying , loud noise …..this experience was on the actual day of my 70th birthday and blighted it severely. Upon our return I highlighted this noise pollution on what should be a relaxed and chilled vacation as feedback to Sandals management and it was turned into a complaint from which I then received an apology from the Sandals Resort Manager, Patrick Drake, thanking me for highlighting the problems we encountered and not raising a negative Tripadvisor review and promising me 15,000 Sandals points as recompense. Unfortunately, this offer was accompanied by a legal document requiring both me and my wife to sign to say that we wouldn’t raise or discuss this subject without the express permission of Sandals, thereby restricting our freedom of speech. We refused to sign and rejected the offer, which was accepted by Mr. Drake, and here is the review…..So please be warned that if you require some extra hangers it may take a few visits and quite a bit of time to get them and if you want a relaxed and chilled holiday at Sandals Barbados, take some ear plugs….and if you want to complain, be prepared to sign an NDA……other than that the food, drinks and service (particularly from our maid, Krystal), were very good. Based on the negative experiences detailed above, we won’t be returning to Sandals and will revert back to enjoying the Excellence group of Hotels.

So far have been to three Sandals resorts, Grenada, La Toc (St.Lucia) and now Royal Barbados/Barbados, and my wife and I agree that this resort is our favorite. We stayed 5 nights as we thought we found the sweet spot, but wish we would’ve stayed 6 or 7. We loved the staff, bartenders, spacing of rooms to activities and restaurants and everything in between. We will consider coming back here in the future!

We’ve just returned from the most incredible trip to Barbados, where we had the privilege of getting married at Sandals Royal Barbados—and we honestly couldn’t have wished for a more perfect experience. From the moment we arrived, the resort, the beautiful surroundings and the warm, welcoming staff made us feel so special. The whole atmosphere was exactly what we had hoped for: relaxing, romantic and unforgettable. Our wedding day was everything we dreamed of. Getting married on the beach, with the Caribbean Sea as our backdrop, was truly magical. The wedding team helped make the whole process feel smooth and stress-free, allowing us to focus on each other and enjoy every moment. The food, drinks, entertainment and service throughout our stay were fantastic, and there was always something to enjoy. Whether we were relaxing by the pool, enjoying cocktails, exploring Barbados or simply taking in the views, every day felt like a little piece of paradise. What made the trip even more special was the way the staff helped make our wedding and honeymoon feel personal. Their kindness, attention to detail and genuine warmth made memories we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives. Barbados will always hold a special place in our hearts, and Sandals Royal Barbados will forever be part of our wedding story. Thank you to everyone who helped make our trip so incredible. We’re leaving with unforgettable memories, full hearts and a wedding day we’ll never forget. 10/10—we’d love to come back. ❤️🇧🇧

The entire experience was fantastic, it rained quite a bit during our stay but the food was mostly great and the opportunities and different activities going on made it very enjoyable. We went snorkeling and did some Snuba which we are very happy we did both experiences. The rain didn’t put a damper on our vacation at all. The staff was very nice, always saying good morning and asking if there was anything they could help with.

We had a wondful time at Sandals Barbados! Chevhrine was awesome!!! She took wonderful care of us and all of our friends! Made our trip complete! Wish you had more employees like her! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️